The Forum’s rafters are packed with a new generation of power metal supporters, and tonight you wouldn’t know if they’re here to see Metallica or a band obsessed with Lord Of The Rings.
First up are GLORYHAMMER [7], featuring Alestorm keyboardist Christopher Bowes, whose conceptual centrepiece revolves around a millennium-spanning story of warriors and wizards. With some ridiculous banter and beer chugging they’re full-on fun with some massively catchy tunes to boot.
It’s been yonks since BLIND GUARDIAN [8] played a proper tour in the UK and the fans are ravenous to hear them live. Despite the Forum’s crappy sound, these power metal veterans pull off their odes to times gone by with aplomb, combining some of the nerdiest songs you can imagine with a big-production sound to rival Judas Priest and Queen. They play for over two hours; the sound of hundreds of fans losing themselves in the “Somebody’s out there” cannon on The Last Candle encapsulates the band’s obsession-like following that they’ve built up since 1984. The new songs from Beyond The Red Mirror sit well with the oldies while Into The Storm is a blizzard of riffs that welcomes a triumphant encore.
